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Board of Directors

David Shuel. Chair

David was born in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in business management. He spent most of his adult life in Chicago where he raised his two children. There, David ran the Chicago location of his family business, HP Products, a full-service industrial supply distribution company with over eight hundred employees. When HP sold to Ferguson Supply in 2014, David moved his family to Sarasota and purchased his own business, Beneva Flowers and Plantscapes.

It was at Beneva Flowers that David learned about Project 180. David hired a man who, unbeknownst to him, was a Project 180 resident/returning citizen. The employee shared how Project 180 had impacted his life. David immediately reached out to Project 180’s CEO, Barbara Richards, to see how he could help make a positive impact in the Sarasota community through the organization. Barbara invited David and his partner, Leah, to have dinner with the guys at Keifer’s House, one of the Project 180 residences. They were so moved by the experience that David called Barbara the next day and asked how he could get involved to support Project 180’s good work.

David joined the board shortly after and has become deeply involved in the organization. He has since hired his third employee through Project 180 and has found that being a Second Chance employer is a great investment in his business.

Wendy Cox. Vice Chair

Wendy Cox is an attorney and non-profit fund development consultant. She was a trial lawyer for many years in Minnesota and after moving to Florida began representing foster kids in dependency court as a pro-bono attorney. Many foster kids have parents who have been in jail or prison and that is where she saw firsthand the extent to which the incarceration of an individual impacts their children.

Because of her interest in criminal justice issues, a friend introduced Wendy to Barbara Richards who shared the mission and work of Project 180. That was seven years ago. Since then, Wendy has been an active volunteer and financial supporter. “Providing people with the resources and encouragement they need to live their best life is what motivates my commitment to this work.  People face challenges in life and to turn things around, they need someone to believe in them and help them design and implement their roadmap to success. That promotes real opportunity for change which impacts individuals, their families and entire communities.  That is what Project 180 does.”

In 2006 Wendy and Jim, her husband of 35 years, moved from Minnesota to Florida to get away from a lifetime of shoveling snow. They have both recently retired.  When not volunteering for local non-profits, Wendy enjoys yoga, fly-fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities that do not require a winter jacket.

Marianne Moyer, Secretary

After their thirty year careers in telecommunications, Marianne and her husband, John, retired and moved from Maryland to Bradenton, FL where they immediately became involved in local non-profit work.

Marianne has served on the Boards of the Manatee United Way, Red Cross, and Junior Leadership. Her special interest has been and continues to be helping children learn to share her love of reading. Having helped organize and start “Reading Pals,” she volunteers for ‘Dive Into Reading’ and other programs to help Title 1 students, eagerly sharing her time and love of reading. She is also on the board of The Myositis Association, supporting people who, like her, have myositis.

In 2019, Marianne’s son, who had been incarcerated for six years, was nearing release in a state where he had no resources. She reached out to Project 180 CEO Barbara Richards for advice to help him turn his life around. With the information and support Barbara provided, Marianne was able to help her son make good use of his second chance. He is now a productive member of society.

As she learned more about the scope of Project 180, Marianne made a commitment to support the program. For the last two years Marianne and John have helped cook and serve Thanksgiving dinner to the men of Project 180.

Joe Malave, Treasurer

With more than 27 years in the financial services industry, Joe, a certified financial planner (CFP) with Palm Avenue Wealth Advisory Group at Raymond James, works closely with families and professionals to help them address each of their financial objectives and move toward the future with confidence. Before joining Raymond James, Joe was a financial advisor with UBS and NFP Securities. He began his career as a registered principal helping to run four offices for Cigna Financial Advisors in Southern California, before becoming a Regional Vice President for several insurance companies such as Allianz, Pacific Life and Transamerica. Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and completed coursework toward an MBA.

Joe volunteers his time as a financial literacy instructor with Project 180 in an effort to reduce recidivism locally at the Sarasota County Jail. When asked why he chose to get involved with Project 180, Joe says “to help save lives in a vulnerable part of the population people forget and ignore. Helping them makes our community safer and more productive. “

Originally from Newington, Connecticut, Joe lives in Sarasota and has two daughters, Layna and Nora. In his spare time, he plays tennis and practices mixed martial arts including Muay Thai, Boxing, Brazilian Jujitsu and Combat Submission Wrestling.

Pamela Gore Meade

Pamela is a passionate volunteer and financial supporter of Project 180. In 2016, Pamela, a long-time advocate of criminal justice reform, read the book “Just Mercy”, by Bryan Stevenson. The book was a tipping point from interest to action. So compelled by the stories of incarceration and challenges of reentry following release, she promised herself to become involved locally in helping to change the status quo. She began volunteering for Project 180 in 2017, after having attended a Strong Voices/Strong Subjects lecture, and joined the board in 2019, where she served as Chair in 2021.

With a working background in program and fund development for both academic institutions and nonprofit organizations, Pamela primarily helped foster and supervise sustainable development projects, particularly in natural forest management, throughout Latin America. She has spent the last 20 years as a community volunteer with various philanthropic organizations, focusing on women’s education, environmental conservation, and justice. Pamela holds a B.A. in Inter-American Studies from Florida State University, with minors in Music and Interior Design. She completed post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Cologne, Germany, in International Politics, and received her M.A. from the University of Florida in Latin American Studies.

Pamela is a third generation Floridian and mother to two young adult children and lives in Sarasota with her husband of 25 years, Robert, and two Labrador retrievers. An avid reader and writer, she enjoys applying those skills to support the mission and vision of Project 180. She also enjoys foreign languages, gardening, music and entertaining.

Vince Montesano

Vince was born in the Bronx, New York and graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Adminstration with a concentration in Finance. He then went on to pursue his MBA at Harvard Business School graduating in 1995. After Business School, Vince spent over 25 years on Wall Street in various finance and sales related roles.

It was Vince’s relationship with board member David Shuel and David’s company, Beneva, that bridged Vince’s introduction to Project 180. Vince was ready to spend more time making a positive impact to the community and the mission and values of Project 180 were a great match.

After a busy career in finance, Vince is enjoying a much slower pace of life since moving to Florida in 2018 with his wife, Jen, and daughter, Kate. He enjoys traveling, playing pickleball, staying fit through his commitment to F3 Suncoast and watching his daughter compete in both indoor and beach volleyball.

Michael Quattrone

Mike grew up in Sarasota, graduated from Riverview High School, and began college at Stetson University when his life started to unravel due to the disease of addiction. As Mike’s symptoms escalated, he ended up in jail followed by many attempts to recover and get his life back on track. His road to recovery had many twists and turns. Mike says, “The challenges I have experienced in my life led me to Project 180 where I can support people who want to change their lives and are ready to take the necessary steps to make that happen.”  Mike knows that people can turn their lives around – he has.

Mike now works as an operation director of a local auto glass company but his primary mission in life is to help people in recovery discover their potential for a new way of living. He volunteers one morning each week in the peer-to-peer counseling center in the Reentry Pod at the Sarasota County Jail. He has also volunteered with Project 180 to develop programs that support the men in our Residential Program homes.

When not attending meetings or chasing after the kids, a great day for Mike is watching the Philadelphia Eagles game with his dad on a Sunday afternoon. Mike and his wife, Katrina, live in Sarasota and have four young children.

Lt. Arlene Tracy

Arlene Tracy started her career in corrections with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in 2004. Promoted to sergeant in 2007 she took the female recovery program from a 14-bed unit to a 48-bed unit and implemented a court-approved parenting class for men inside the Sarasota County Correctional Facility. She currently serves as the lieutenant over programs, property, and commissary. In May 2019, she received a congressional award from Congressman Buchanan for implementing innovative programs for incarcerated individuals. Arlene is an inspector for the Florida Model Jail standards (FMJS), a CJSTC certified instructor and enjoys teaching corrections at Suncoast Technical College. She serves on the Florida Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) advisory board, whose purpose is to help those with severe mental illness. Most recently, in December of 2021, she received her masters in Criminal Justice from University of South Florida.

When asked what led her to serve on the Project 180 board, she says: “Barbara Richards shares the passion of helping incarcerated individuals turn their lives around. And that is important to creating a healthy community for everyone.”

When not at work she enjoys camping, hiking, biking, and canoeing.

Monica Waterman

Currently with Allison James Estates and Homes, Monica has been a residential real estate agent for over 22 years. She is passionate about community and that, regardless of size or structure, the real value of community lies in the shared connections between its individuals. Monica feels that a strong sense of community can provide a sense of belonging, support, and mutual respect while fostering a sense of purpose and encouraging individuals to work towards common goals. As a community, we are at our best when we are helping our fellow members during times of struggle.

Monica serves on the Housing Task Force at Project 180, using her years of experience and knowledge of the local market to help identify and acquire properties that serve as a good fit for our Residential Program. She dedicates her work with Project 180 to the memory of her beloved son, Joe, who lost his fight with addiction in 2003.

Hailing from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Monica has spent over 30 years living, working and raising three wonderful children in the Sarasota/Manatee County area and still wakes up every day with overwhelming gratitude that she gets to make a living helping people achieve their goals and make their dreams come true.

Staff

Barbara Richards, MS

Barbara Richards, MS is the President/CEO and Founder of Project 180. A former Adult Basic Education and GED teacher in the San Francisco County Jail system, Barbara came to Florida to study for her Master of Science Degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice from 2004 to 2006 at The Florida State University. Prior to becoming involved in criminal justice issues, Barbara owned and operated a successful restaurant in San Francisco for fifteen years.

Barbara became an advocate for incarcerated citizens in 1997 when she learned through NPR about the disparity in literacy levels between incarcerated and non-incarcerated citizens. Fascinated and inspired by the extraordinary potential of individuals engaged in the process of life transformation, she founded Project 180 to create better life options for currently and formerly incarcerated citizens.

barbara@project180reentry.org

Chuck Dockery

Program Coordinator for Project 180’s

  • First Week Out, a program for state prisoners released to Sarasota County
  • CEO Program, workforce education for incarcerated citizens

chuck@project180reentry.org

941-724-0405

Seth Campbell

Residential Program Coordinator

Financial Literacy Course Program Coordinator

seth@project180reentry.org

941-685-7530

Thomas Graff

Residential Program Coordinator

Administrative Assistant

tom@project180reentry.org

941-677-2281 (office)

Honorary Society

A group of citizens and community leaders committed to the Mission and Vision of Project 180.

Official Partners

Project 180. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELPFLA (1-800-435-7352), OR VIA THE INTERNET AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. (Registration Number CH27315).
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